


Ashes to Ashes

by twosockles



Category: Futur Radio, Original Work
Genre: Gen, Now features FANART, Or rather one smokes and the other holds the cigarettes hostage, Smoking, Two bored coworkers take a smoke break
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-26 14:05:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19007311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twosockles/pseuds/twosockles
Summary: Bec and Lou take a smoke break on the roof.Or rather, Lou tries to smoke. But like most things involving Bec, It's not so simple. (Original date posted: Sept 09 2018)





	Ashes to Ashes

It has been a long day, in a series of long weeks. Between administrative shifts shaking up a long standing order, which made waves in the ranks below, to terrible luck on major cases, the office had become a joyless vice. Bec lost a major suspect in a property damage case to an overdose, and was days away from an unsolved tag on the case file. Lou was shuffling papers on a nearby desk, labeling and re-organizing case files. He glances at Bec, who isn't looking at anything in particular, then at the clock next to the door.

The clock read 2:13pm.

Close enough. Lou stands, careful not to knock anything down.

“ ...I'm going for a smoke.”

Bec gets up too, muscles screaming as he does.

“I'll join you. I need the exercise.”

The stairs up to the rooftop balcony are a short walk away. It still feels wonderful and painful to move so much after a stagnant day.

Lou leans on the ledge, pulling out a near empty box of cigarettes. Bec looks over the edge, peering down a 3-story drop. It's a gloomy day, and only a few people roam the streets. He looks back to Lou, who appears to still be looking for a match with increasing frustration.

“Maybe it's a sign you should quit.” Despite his words, Bec pulls a lighter from his jacket and offers it to Lou. The other takes it hesitantly, unsure if there's a catch. Lou lights his cigarette and hands it back.

Bec plays with the sparkwheel idly, as the younger man takes drag. He exhales, feeling the smoke dissipate more so than watching it.

“Why do you carry a lighter if you don't smoke?”

“It's useful to have.”

“In case you want to burn something?”

“Fire makes me feel powerful.” The edge of a chipped fingernail catches on the graded edge of the wheel and Bec winces.

Lou takes another drag before he speaks again

“I thought you were tracking down arsonists, not joining in on the fun.”

“Maybe,” Bec blows away wayward smoke drifting towards him, “this detective thing is all a ruse so I can get away with it.”

Lou just scoffs, leaning away to exhale more smoke. Another joke gone by without so much as a smile. Bec had yet to see the other laugh before. He wondered if he could.

The conversation takes a nosedive. Bec makes a lunge for the metaphorical controls.

“I don't think we've had many opportunities to chat like this since we met.”

That's probably a good thing, thinks Lou. He doesn't need to say it though, doesn't get a chance to, because Bec's already moving on to the next thought.

“We could make the most of it, get to know each other more in the next five minutes.”

Lou's cigarette is nearly its end. He gives Bec a wary glance that he hope communicates the sentiment of ‘I don't think either of us want or care to know more about the other.’ Bec continues on unfazed.

“Do you have any hobbies? Asides from work and school that is. Those don't count.” He can't help but grin at the look of despair on Lou’s face as Bec takes away what seemed to be his entire life.

Lou taps out the embers of his cigarette in thought.

“I like to...I used to draw for fun a lot.”

Lou idly draws something out while extinguishing his cigarette butt. There's not enough left to leave a lasting image, and he seems to be mostly unaware of his actions. Curious and curiouser. It's not a particularly deep statement, but it's more than he thought he would get out of Lou.

“You don't anymore?”

“I don't know.”

Another pause. Bec points to the cigarettes remaining in the box.

“Pass me one.”

“I thought you didn't smoke?” Lou looks confused, but compiles. It's an easy victory, and Bec feels a moment of guilt for the betrayal he's about to deliver.

“I don't.”

Bec takes a cigarette, lights it, watches the embers glow. He presses the still burning tip to a clean part of the ledge and draws the first thing that comes to mind.

Lou’s face goes from horror at the waste, to scrunched up in concentration as he tried to decipher the symbol on the ledge.

“...Is that supposed to be a cat?” Lou sounded underwhelmed, but Bec took it as a victory.

“It sure is.” Bec beamed, taking the opportunity to reach for another cigarette from the box.

“I feel like it's been awhile since you've seen a cat.” Lou frowned, moving the box out of reach in an effort to prevent more from being misused.

“...I suppose it has. I can't think of any friend of mine that owns a cat. Dogs, kids, birds...no cats though.”

Lou looked like he wanted to say something, then stopped himself. Bec, waited, comfortable in the break of conversation.

“I'm...I've always liked dogs more than cats myself.”

That came as a surprise to Bec, who had been sure moments before that the prickly and aloof Lou was a textbook ‘cat person’. He hummed in response. Lou went back to fiddling with the lid of the cigarette box, debating whether to take another out or not.

Bec lunges.

Lou’s reflexes aren't fast enough, or he's caught too off guard to react fast enough to stop Bec from getting another cigarette. He starts to whine about cost and waste, but his pleas go unheard.

“I want to draw one more thing. The most recent animal I've seen.” Bec lights the cigarette with smile and gets to work.

The box of cigarettes crumbles and shakes a bit in Lou's hands, but he doesn't stop him. He final result isn't his best work, but to be fair, cigarettes aren't a particularly good tool for drawing.

Bec gives the moment a dramatic pause for Lou to evaluate his masterpiece.

“.....I have no idea what that's supposed to be.”

Bec feels a smile, a real smile start to crack on his face.

“It's you!”

Bec gets the rest of cigarettes, box and all, thrown into his chest.

 

Art By @Yooci19 !

**Author's Note:**

> I forgot how to backdate stories, so I'm just gonna write them into the summary
> 
> This is the third OC fic I've posted with more on the way! Please check them out!


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